MATTERS OF THE HEART

Page 13

Marie had a lot of regrets, many, many regrets, but she had never regretted loving Walt.  For all the heartache and pain that love had brought her, it was still so very precious to her.  He may never know it, but he had been, and still was, loved more than most people ever are.  When she thought of him she could feel her heart wanting to explode, feel the warm glow slowly move across her body with the thought of his touch, feel the tears begin to build in her eyes, feel her lips tingle with the remembrance of his kiss.  Yes, he was truly loved whether he knew it or not.  She often wondered if he somehow felt the love she had for him.  It somehow seemed natural that God would somehow touch his heart and mind and convey to him the love that was there for him--there waiting in the wings should he ever need it--

Page 59

Then out of nowhere she felt a hand on her shoulder.  She turned her head, looked up, and – time stood still, no, time did not stand still, it rapidly raced backward forty-three years.  There standing beside her was Walt.  She couldn’t breathe, her lips parted but she couldn’t speak, no words would come.  Her eyes fixed on his and his on hers, and for what seemed like a lifetime they just looked at each other; the entire universe seemed to pause.  Then she heard him say, “Marie?”

“Oh my God.”  She whispered.  “Walt?”  She felt the tears on her cheeks but she couldn’t stop them, the emotions she felt were indescribable, a mixture of fear, love, hope, and uncertainty.  Her heart raced and was pounding in her ears--Marie still couldn’t speak, she continued to study his face, her chin quivered and she bit her lower lip.  His hair was snow white and he now had a beard which was also white – that was new- forty-three years ago he had not had a beard, his face had aged, but it was him.  Those were the same eyes she had gazed into decades ago, the same eyes – and the love she felt was the same love, for a brief moment it was 1959 again, this was Wrightsville Beach again, and they were 19 and 22 again – and all the miserable years that had ensued had been erased.  The emotion of the moment overwhelmed her and she began to weep openly, her shoulders shook and millions of butterflies were swarming in the pit of her stomach.  He reached out, put his arms around her and held her close to him, and then he began to weep also.  He held her so tightly that she could barely breathe but she didn’t care, she clung to him and prayed that this was not a dream, and it wasn’t, this is what she had been living for, this is all she had ever wanted.

Finally he released his grip on her, he reached over and brushed the tears from her cheek.  “You look great, the years have been kind to you.”

“Thank-you, you look good too, I’m not used to the beard, but, I would have known you anywhere--.They spent about an hour together, one beautiful heavenly hour, an hour that she would not have traded for the entire world.  She would cherish that hour forever; it was a dream come true, a prayer answered.  It was more than she had dared to hope for.

“I have to go.”  He said as he stopped walking and faced her, he brushed the wind-blown hair out of her face, put both of his hands on her shoulders, looked into her deep blue eyes and repeated, “I have to go.”

“I know.”  She quietly said as she also looked deep into his eyes, indeed she felt as if she were looking into his very soul, “I know you do.’ She felt her chin quiver again, felt the tears coming, she tried to force a smile.

“Please don’t cry, please don’t.”  He put his arm around her head and pulled it to his chest; “Hey,” he made an attempt at humor, “Queens don’t cry.”

  She backed up, looked at him, yes, she thought, she was his queen and he would always be her king.  “I’ll try my best.”  She said.

“I really have to go now.”  He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, looked at her and then kissed her on the forehead.  “I’ll keep in touch,” he said.  “I promise.” --She watched him walk away – when he got to his car he paused, turned and looked at her for a long moment, then got in his car and drove away.